A North Carolina Railroad (NCRR) conductor uniform cuff button is seen below, circa unknown, but probably dating to before the 1870s.  The North Carolina Railroad Company was incorporated in 1849 and subsequently built a cross-state railroad that presently extends 317 miles, from Charlotte in the southern Piedmont to Morehead City on the Atlantic coast.  It is an historic property that brought progress to what was largely an agrarian economy and continues to serve business by leasing the line to Norfolk Southern Railway and by serving passengers through the use of the railroad with ten passenger trains a day, operated by both the North Carolina Department of Transportation and Amtrak.  Items from the NCRR are rarely seen.  

Cape Fear & Yadkin Valley Railway (CF&YV) cuff and jacket buttons are seen below, circa 1880's-1890's.  This railroad was chartered in 1879 and ran from Mt. Airy NC to Wilmington NC, passing through Greensboro.  After financial difficulties caused the aquisition of the southern half of the line by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and the northern segment by the Southern Railway, the latter portion became the Southern Railway's subsidiary, the Atlantic & Yadkin Railway (A&Y).  The A&Y was headquartered in Greensboro, had Jefferson Pilot Insurance Company CEO Julian Price as its president and was fully absorbed into Southern Railway in 1950.  Parts of the CF&YV still exist under the ownership of other railroads, but much of the Greensboro portion has been converted to a recreational trail.  Prior to the aquisition of these buttons, our historical society had only seen CF&YV paper ephemera as collectibles.  

CMR has recently been the beneficiary of several nice collections of model railway related items. Donations to us help us in our mission to help introduce others to the World’s Greatest Hobby. 

We just received a very nice collection of model railroad related magazines, many of which were in unread condition from Cindy and Nels Lindquist of Troutman, NC. These magazines will help round out our extensive library (shared with the Greensboro Chapter of the NRHS), with duplicates to be later distributed to children who visit our club.

We also received a very nice collection of vintage trains from Candance and Ray Taylor of Pinehurst, NC. The trains belonged to Candance’s father, LeVern Floyd Greer, and were part of his lifelong love of model railroading. A WWII veteran, he was born in Muscatine, Iowa, and lived there for most of his life. Over the years he built many layouts, with his favorite recreating his hometown’s riverfront. 

LeVern Floyd Greer

All donations to CMR are used to further our hobby. We will utilize donated items in our current modeling projects. Items unable to be used are cleaned, and either donated to help get children interested in the hobby, or they are sold off so we can use the funds for our current projects.

If you have a collection that you would like to donate, please let us know. If you need help figuring out what is best to do with your collection, do not hesitate to reach out to us—we can certainly help you with a plan.

Covid interrupted and slowed the progress, but a substantial amount of work has been completed on our new layout, thanks to the efforts of a dedicated team of club members.   

The original DC layout with HO, N and HOn3 scale trackage was constructed the 1970's in one of the former waiting rooms at the ex-Southern Railway train station adjacent to our current location in the former Railway Express Agency building.  When the station was renovated beginning in 2001, the club moved to a former knitting mill in northeast Greensboro and then to our current location in October 2003.  It and the current layout have been DCC since then, with electronics by Digitrax.  

Below is the track plan for the HO portion of our new layout depicting the Piedmont, Sandhills and western North Carolina.  

 Below is the N scale freelanced (not meant to represent any specific area) layout. 

Seen above is the entire length of the layout room in the former Greensboro Railway Express Agency building, with the HO portion of the layout in the foreground and the N scale portion in the far distance. 

The N scale layout is seen above.  

One of two mines and backdrop on the N scale layout (above).  

Amtrak is about to head out to the big city on the HO layout. 

Co-Op grain elevator on the N scale layout is seen above. 

Another new HO bridge spans the mainline near Sanford. 

Scenes along the railroad (above and below)

N&W troop train on the HO layout passing Siler City depot. 

On our HO layout, the NCDOT goes to all NC towns.

No conductors standing on the back of cabooses any longer except on the CMR.  

Scrapyard and other industry in Hickory area (above) on the HO.

The HO model in the two photos below is of Evonik Stockhausen Chemical in Greensboro.  A fixture in Greensboro for years, it is the largest manufacturer in the world of a super-absorbent polymer that is used in diapers and similar products, producing over 100,000 metric tons a year. 

Heavy freight passing the HO grain elevators

BCR M630 and SD40-2's ease through HO industrial complex early one morning.

An NS coil car train gets ready to pull out (above). 

The people living in these houses are all railfans.  

It's 1965 and a local is just passin' through. 

Approaching Bartlett Milling, with detailed and lit interior by a talented CMR member.  

It's a busy day on the back dock at the HO scale Bartlett Milling.  

One of two mines on the N scale layout  

The HO Greensboro Pomona Yard, with the Colonial Pipeline petroleum tank farm in the background. The actual Pomona Yard has a capacity of over 800 freight cars. Colonial's 600-acre Greensboro complex is the largest on their 5500 mile system, with pipeline branches to other cities in the eastern US that daily deliver 3 million barrels of 86 types of petroleum products.  

The Norfolk Southern HO Greensboro intermodal yard is beginning to take shape (above). 

A river takes shape on the N scale layout (above left); N scale fiddle yard (above middle) and the spectacular HO Perdue elevator from Candor NC (above right)     

The bridge crew just finished up on two new HO structures.

Another view of the HO layout (above) and the N scale layout in the distance

Digitrax power station for the N scale layout  

Scenes around the busy Stockhausen facility (above and below)

CAROLINA MODEL RAILROADERS, INC.

Founded in 1973, the purpose of the Carolina Model Railroaders is to promote model railroading, build and operate model railroad layouts, and to foster fellowship among persons interested in model railroading. Membership in the Carolina Model Railroaders is open to any person interested in the goals of the organization.

We are currently building an HO Scale (1:87) layout extending southeast to the Sandhills and west to the North Carolina mountains.

Our club models in two primary scales, N and HO. However, we built and maintained the O-gauge layout at the Greensboro Children’s Museum that was displayed for about 9 years. We also operate a Z-scale layout at shows and special occasions.

Our club is open to all who wish to promote and further model railroading. Family participation is encouraged and visitors are always welcome.

CMR Hours: We will open to the public June 5 2021.  Visitors must observe posted protective regulations.
CMR Club Meetings open to public we meet every Thursday at 7:00pm; Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 2-5pm
Location: GALYON DEPOT, RAILWAY EXPRESS AGENCY BUILDING, NEXT TO GREYHOUND TERMINAL

Address: 234-B East Washington St, Greensboro, NC 27401

Mailing Address: Post Office Box 13642, Greensboro, NC 27415-3642

Phone Number: 336-312-4198 

NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

From the "glory days" of steam locomotion to today's fast-paced world of high-speed urban transports, railroading has played a key role in developing our vast American landscape. The Greensboro Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society works to preserve this heritage by bringing together a core group of individuals dedicated to reliving the past glories and future possibilities of the world's most exciting form of transportation. Founded in 1977, the Greensboro Chapter is but one of over 160 chapters located throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Activities include monthly meetings, a library, trips to places of railroad interest, and railroad excursions on some of the Piedmont's most exciting railway systems. We also enjoy railroad literature, music, poetry, and meeting railroad people. Family participation is encouraged and visitors are always welcome. 

We also operate a small museum in the lobby of the  former Railway Express Agency building, with exhibits focused on Greensboro area railroad history.  On display are lanterns, conductor uniform parts, photos, artifacts from freight and passenger trains and the bell attributed to be from the locomotive that was the subject of the famous song "Wreck of the Old 97."  This tragic accident of the Southern Railway train called The Fast Mail happened in Danville VA in 1903.

 Greeensboro Chapter NRHS museum area, showing steam locomotive bell attributed to the Wreck of the Old 97 engine.

The NRHS is a non-profit section 501(c)(3) organization, and contributions are tax-deductible.

NRHS Club Meetings: WE'VE MET EVERY THIRD MONDAY AT 7:00 PM BY ZOOM DURING COVID BUT WATCH THIS SPACE FOR EXPECTED CHANGES AS RESTRICTIONS ARE LIFTED

Location: GALYON DEPOT, RAILWAY EXPRESS AGENCY BUILDING, NEXT TO GREYHOUND TERMINAL

Mailing Address: Greensboro Chapter NRHS, PO Box 16745 Greensboro, NC 27416

Phone Number: (336) 908-2321